Key Points
-
If you're ready to start online dating, do your homework on the ins and outs of popular sites to find the best online dating sites to join.
-
Match, eHarmony, OKCupid, Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder may seem identical from the outside, but get to know them better to pick what aligns with your dating needs.
-
No one site has everything, but you'll learn that specific sites will better meet what you want from an online dating experience.
Dating is tough. Some folks love the challenge, some run and hide, and some are so confused they don't even know where to start. In the 2020s contemporary dating landscape, knowing the best online dating sites to join is practically a must.
With the ever-expanding digital dating landscape, you might ask yourself, “Where do I start?” Before you dive into the vast sea of online dating to determine the best dating sites to join, consider these key questions:
-
How good are the dating platform’s matchmaking algorithms? While most dating sites boast about their algorithms, they might pair you with someone who only looks good on paper. Casual dating apps don’t guarantee long-lasting love.
-
How important are user demographics or a fun user experience? No one wants to use complicated apps or convoluted websites. If you didn’t like Tinder's look, you'll have a bad time with most dating apps. Unless you're part of the niche target audience, dating spaces like Grindr, HER, or Christian Mingle aren't the way to go. Maybe a women empowerment app like Bumble strikes your fancy if you’re a woman worried about safety and unwanted messages.
-
Do you want a serious relationships platform, or is a swiping culture app more your speed? Hinge uses a matchmaking algorithm while also letting you “swipe right.” However, if you’re super serious about your love life, you might find comfort in subscription-based dating sites.
From professional dating services to online dating sites, you don’t have to look far to find your perfect partner. Keep reading to discover the best online dating sites to join.
Match
With its 30 million worldwide user base and diverse demographics, Match represents one of the oldest and most popular dating sites. Match was created in the mid-1990s, leading to more dates, relationships, and marriages than any other dating platform. Match now offers a variety of features ranging from advanced searching and filtering to the ability to play games with your matches and more.
While you’re less likely to run into trouble with a paid dating service, even a paywall isn’t scammer-proof. Since you don’t have to fill out your profile immediately, hackers and catfish can–and have–taken advantage of the trust users put into a subscription-based service. If you’re just testing the waters with the limited free trial, you might have run into the allure of a fake message generated by Match to goad you into purchasing a subscription. As recently as 2019, the FTC filed a lawsuit against the dating platform for this very issue.
Big yikes.
Despite its pitfalls, there’s a reason Match has lasted for nearly three decades: Ninety-two thousand marriages and counting doesn’t seem so bad.
eHarmony
Known for its compatibility matching system and focus on serious relationships, eHarmony has helped over 2 million people find their happily ever after. You may not be able to do much with the free membership, but you do get occasional notifications for "Free Communication Weekends." As the first dating site to implement an intense, scientific matchmaking algorithm, its 60-70 item questionnaire makes it easier to find the person who best suits you. It’s also easier to weed out the ghost-ers.
You won't match with anyone within the first five minutes of logging on to the site. Such a hefty, in-depth algorithm isn't cheap either, so if you don't want to pay the $35 for Match, then you'll definitely want to skip eHarmony. Sure, you know with whom you matched during the free version, but until you pay to play, you'll only see blurry profile pictures.
Some might consider the lack of swiping a deal breaker, but it might be a breath of fresh air for someone else. Ultimately, eHarmony’s attention to detail resembles professional dating services since all its users mean business. Subscriptions get into the $60 territory, but at least you'll know the person paying for it is just as serious about love as you are.
That's gotta count for something, right?
OkCupid
Here’s a place to talk to your matches for free! OkCupid offers a fun and customizable user experience with a diverse user base. The extensive questionnaire at sign-up boosts compatibility matching success to help users form genuine connections. You can even specify your profile and desired partner with over 20 sexual orientations and 12 gender identities. With a huge variety of singles on the platform, you might find that OkCupid’s user demographics surpass its competition.
While fun and unique, OkCupid’s casual, bar-like atmosphere isn’t for everyone. You still have to weed through the not-so-serious users just looking to try something new without having to break out their wallets. You also have a higher chance of running into fake profiles since you can hop on and chat it up for free.
At a glance, OkCupid seems like the love child of Match and eHarmony, so you might find this site a nice place to get your feet wet if you’re new to online dating. You can also upgrade to a basic or premium membership for more exclusive features like specifying “dealbreaker” search criteria or seeing all the answers to your match’s questions even if you haven’t answered them yourself. At $23 a month for a six-month subscription, OkCupid might be the best place to take your online dating baby steps.
Bumble
This unique dating app doubles as a women's empowerment app by allowing women to make the first move. Women’s safety sits at the forefront of Bumble, and with the ball in your court, ladies, you don’t have to worry about an influx of unwanted messages. Bumble sets it up so you get unmatched if a woman doesn’t initiate contact within 24 hours of both parties swiping right. Bumble even allows you to video call or voice chat with your match–no phone number needed!
Your bio can’t be longer than 300 characters so you won’t get in-depth matching capabilities. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that Bumble isn’t solely for dating. Anyone can use the app for dating or friendship, so you might encounter a few speedbumps on the way to a serious romantic relationship.
Bumble is for everyone, but it started as a safe space for women. You can find love at little to no cost, but you might go on more first dates than you would with some of the competition.
Hinge
Hinge is a dating app that promotes genuine connections and meaningful conversations between users — essentially Match’s version of Tinder. Users can like or comment on stories and photos from a profile that interests them. You can also specify if you’re looking for monogamous or non-monogamous relationships. Hinge offers video and voice chatting, letting you date from home, and this site even has a “Selfie Verification” feature that helps weed out fake profiles.
You get eight likes a day and nothing more. If you encounter an “incomplete” profile, you can’t even leave a like. Only complete profiles can implement the basic search filters, and you can’t interact with your daily suggested matches without a premium subscription. Just because you swiped left on someone doesn’t mean you won’t see their profile again.
45% of Hinge users want a serious dating relationship, so you get the best of both worlds with this serious swiping culture app.
Tinder
A popular dating app known for its swiping system and casual dating culture, Tinder is a user-friendly space to find a match. You only get a message if you both swiped right, so no harm, no foul. Like other dating platforms, Tinder also lets you search for same-sex connections.
At the time of writing, Tinder’s basic plan costs $10 or $20 a month, depending on your age, and you need a Facebook account to sign up. Throughout the 2010s, Tinder also had a few hacking issues here and there, raising a few red flags.
Its reputation as a hookup app precedes it, so it may not be the best place to look for a serious relationship.
The Big Bottom Line
Tired of dating men in the entertainment industry, Half & Half and Marlon actress Essence Atkins found her husband on Match. Though they divorced in 2016, Atkins found online dating just as rewarding, if not more, than in-person dating:
“I felt like going through the online system, it gave me permission to go out with someone once or twice and say, ‘you know it was really nice meeting you but I don’t feel any romantic chemistry,’ and everyone just kind of accepts that as ‘OK, thank you.'”
Online dating platforms might take out more partner-finding guesswork than physical dating, but it isn't 100% perfect. You still have to put in the emotional legwork required by tangible dating, so take advantage of those free trials to see what's best for you.
For more articles on dating, sex, and everything in between, subscribe to CupidsLight.
